1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to construction machines for cutting and shaping an upper portion of surfaces such as roads, pavement and runways.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of milling or planing machines having rotary cutters are known in the art. In the case of many of these machines, the cutter is mounted between the front and rear wheels or tracks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,318, issued to Jakob et al., discloses an apparatus for planing a paved roadway in which the planer assembly is mounted beneath the frame in an intermediate position.
By mounting the cutting assembly under the frame, however, the vertical movement of the cutting assembly is limited by the elevation of the frame above the surface being milled. Raising the elevation of the frame to accommodate a higher cutter assembly position causes the machine to have a higher center of gravity. Of course, a higher center of gravity means greater instability for the machine.